Campaign Story
About the project
Children and their families from six urban slums in Ranchi, Jharkhand, face constant challenges due to rapid urbanization. They are vulnerable to eviction, displacement, flooding, safety risks, and unstable parental income. Child labor is prevalent in this community due to high levels of poverty. Children aged 6–18 years often drop out of school to support their families, either by working as low-paid laborers or by taking care of siblings and managing household chores. Many children work in hotels and garages, and some are at risk of substance abuse. Child marriage is also practiced, driven by parental fears of children eloping. Children aged 3–6 years are often irregular in attending Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) for preschool education, as these centers operate from the homes of Anganwadi Workers (AWWs).
Making a difference
CRY America’s project in Ranchi works at facilitating access to education and protection for children living in the six urban slums in the area. Key activities under this project include identifying drop-out children, counseling them for re-enrollment, setting up remedial classes, providing parental counseling on child labor and child marriage issues, and linking children with government programs. Another focus area is forming Children Collectives and Adolescent Girls’ Collectives to address issues of dropouts, menstrual hygiene, child labor and child marriage.
The way forward
● Ensure enrollment of 80 children across the two new slums added to the intervention area
● Enroll 150 children in two Child Activity Centers for academic support and share their academic progress by engaging 150 parents
● Strengthen School Management Committees across two schools to address dropout issues
● Track the transition of 20 children from Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to Grade 1; 17 children from Grade 5 to Grade 6; 29 children from Grade 8 to Grade 9; and 15 children from Grade 10 to Grade 11
● Re-enroll 20 out-of-school adolescents (15–18 years) in formal schools
● Distribute educational materials to 120 vulnerable children in Child Activity Centers
● Support 250 children with identity documents for the school admission process
● Activate 2 Ward-Level Child Protection Committees (WLCPCs) to detect and address cases of child labor, addiction, dropout, and child marriage risks
● Conduct 2 staff training sessions on protection and pedagogy with child protection stakeholders
● Conduct meetings with 150 parents to address issues of child labor, child marriage, and their role in children’s education and protection
● Introduce father and male caregiver engagement sessions with 60 participants
● Train 4 Adolescent Collectives on gender modules and protection issues
● Organize an annual sports event with at least 100 participants
Project Impact
158
Children from Grades 1 to 10 enrolled in Child Activity Centers
579
Community members attended events on child rights awareness
92
Children participated in sports
340
Children received identity document support for school enrollment
211
Community stakeholders were sensitized on child labor and dropout prevention
16
Children were removed from labor and enrolled in schools
111
Children were trained in Year 2 Life Skills sessions
Last year’s grant approved for Jan 25 to Dec 25: $16,080
This year’s budget for Jan 26 to Dec 26: $15,341
Last Year’s Grant Disbursed (Jan to Dec, 2023) – $297,425
Savita finds her way to school
Project Photo Gallery
